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We let a dangerous attacking young midfielder like Josh Bowler go to Everton for around £4m fee, he then ends up as free transfer to Blackpool and is now one of the best players in the Championship. Would like to have a player like him in our midfield.
I don't think we let him go, club wanted him to stay but he choose to leave so we sold him. Don't think the fee we got was anywhere near 4million either
Really good player though, would love to see him back at QPR
I did wonder if we’d try to re-sign him when he got released, maybe bridges had been burnt when he left. Shame though, we could’ve potentially got Bowler & Twine last summer both on free transfers, big opportunity missed.
I did wonder if we’d try to re-sign him when he got released, maybe bridges had been burnt when he left. Shame though, we could’ve potentially got Bowler & Twine last summer both on free transfers, big opportunity missed.
Fernandes back in his twitter days used to slaughter Bowler for leaving so imagine the relationship isn't great
It was only going to get to anything like £4 million if several targets were met. As he never played for Everton, I think he was injured a fair while, I very much doubt that we got any more than the agreed initial fee, which I think was £1 million.
It was only going to get to anything like £4 million if several targets were met. As he never played for Everton, I think he was injured a fair while, I very much doubt that we got any more than the agreed initial fee, which I think was £1 million.
I have heard every figure mentioned between 1 and 4 m. Even if it was the former, it was still good business for a kid who never kicked a ball for the first team and certainly looked a good deal when Everton released him. You never know which players will eventually make it and which won't. Imagine how Millwall feel about Eze?
I did wonder if we’d try to re-sign him when he got released, maybe bridges had been burnt when he left. Shame though, we could’ve potentially got Bowler & Twine last summer both on free transfers, big opportunity missed.
Twine chose to go to MK Dons probably for 'guaranteed' regular first team football. They probably paid him generously, by their standards, as well. If he had come here, he would have had to fight for a place. He definitely benefitted from that decision and they almost got to our level.
It's a shame that Bowler chose to leave and Twine chose not to come but very little we could do about either!
I think the Willock point would be fair if we had let Bowler go with Willock in mind, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
We have to develop players and extract maximum value for them, and do it regularly. One Eze doesn’t make us a development club.
Bowler, along with Manning and BOS, got away.
I don't disagree with this - I would just say I think Willock is better.
Bowler may be one that got away, but to be fair we got a good transfer fee for him after making one sub appearance with no guarantees he'd ever make it as a pro (lots of players move to Prem clubs for the sort of money we got for him then go nowhere). Alternatively of course they end up like Sterling and we did very well out of that one ultimately. So overall I think it was fair business.
Manning/BOS were more badly handled for sure, but I wouldn't say Bowler was bad business or one that got away - when he left no-one would have known for sure where he might end up one day.
For years people were laughing and taking the piss out of Bowler going to Everton because he never got a game. Players come and go, some do better elsewhere, mostly they don’t.
A few seasons back, a mate of mine was a guest at QPR and sat with SLF during a game.
Bowler came up in conversation and according to SLF. QPR rated JB highly and they everything within their power to persuade him to stay. They meet with him, his parents and adviser, and explained everything through and how they felt QPR presented a better pathway to the Starting XI and beyond, and how confident they were that he would develop better with us.
I don't think JB's departure was for the want of QPR's trying.
Everton offered more readies and at the time, had or were heavily into player development (Stones, Calvert-Lewin).
Alas, seems one we lost out on. I'm sure Armstrong's former club might have tried their darnedest to keep him but we appealed more. Tis life amigos, tis life...
'Always In Motion' by John Honney available on amazon.co.uk
For years people were laughing and taking the piss out of Bowler going to Everton because he never got a game. Players come and go, some do better elsewhere, mostly they don’t.
I seem to recall we got £1m for him. He then went to Hull on loan before joining Blackpool.
I would like him to rejoin if we can get him as he plays on the right and Willock on the left. I noticed that he did not celebrate his goal and IIRC didn’t last season either. This to me suggests that maybe he would be willing to come back if given the opportunity to do so.
Let’s at least be accurate here. Bowler is excellent but he and his agent wanted to leave QPR for Everton. We got decent money for a kid who played 45 minutes for us. Blackpool turned down a recent bid of £4m for him and we don’t stand a chance of resigning him, however good he would be here. Not really anything else to say.
I think the Willock point would be fair if we had let Bowler go with Willock in mind, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
We have to develop players and extract maximum value for them, and do it regularly. One Eze doesn’t make us a development club.
Bowler, along with Manning and BOS, got away.
Why are you repeating the myth that we let him go? We didn't. He refused to stay so we got whatever money we could for him.
If he'd stayed, he'd almost certainly have played many more games for us than he did for Everton and he'd probably be playing for a Premiership team now, albeit at a bottom half side. It's always a gamble but for all the Raheem Sterling's and Phil Fodens there are, there are probably quite a few Patrick Roberts or Josh Bowlers. But for those that do make it straight into the first team of big clubs, they're probably delighted they did it that way.
If it was my son though, I think I'd prefer a season at least at Championship level rather than making the big money move at 18 or 19.
I seem to recall we got £1m for him. He then went to Hull on loan before joining Blackpool.
I would like him to rejoin if we can get him as he plays on the right and Willock on the left. I noticed that he did not celebrate his goal and IIRC didn’t last season either. This to me suggests that maybe he would be willing to come back if given the opportunity to do so.
Was the booing by home fans designed to lure him back?
Why are you repeating the myth that we let him go? We didn't. He refused to stay so we got whatever money we could for him.
If he'd stayed, he'd almost certainly have played many more games for us than he did for Everton and he'd probably be playing for a Premiership team now, albeit at a bottom half side. It's always a gamble but for all the Raheem Sterling's and Phil Fodens there are, there are probably quite a few Patrick Roberts or Josh Bowlers. But for those that do make it straight into the first team of big clubs, they're probably delighted they did it that way.
If it was my son though, I think I'd prefer a season at least at Championship level rather than making the big money move at 18 or 19.
I’m not repeating any myths. I said, “IF……., but that clearly wasn’t the case.”
To be clear, as I said, Bowler “got away” (in the same way BOS and Manning “got away”). I fully accept that he had an opinion on it and was absolutely entitled to make whatever decision he wanted. But, we’re not talking a young Haaland here with his pick of any club in the world. We’re talking about a young lad with one professional appearance to his name which, incidentally, came in the last game of the season before he left (I’m guessing he saw through it). The fact is he left, having been here for a couple of years, because he felt Everton offered something better. Frankly, I don’t blame him. I blame the people who created an environment where a young lad turned his back on a club that he knew, who were making representations about pathway to the first team. I’d be surprised if he was just being stubborn, playing Russian Roulette with his career. I’m sure he had very good reason to make that decision.
I’m not repeating any myths. I said, “IF……., but that clearly wasn’t the case.”
To be clear, as I said, Bowler “got away” (in the same way BOS and Manning “got away”). I fully accept that he had an opinion on it and was absolutely entitled to make whatever decision he wanted. But, we’re not talking a young Haaland here with his pick of any club in the world. We’re talking about a young lad with one professional appearance to his name which, incidentally, came in the last game of the season before he left (I’m guessing he saw through it). The fact is he left, having been here for a couple of years, because he felt Everton offered something better. Frankly, I don’t blame him. I blame the people who created an environment where a young lad turned his back on a club that he knew, who were making representations about pathway to the first team. I’d be surprised if he was just being stubborn, playing Russian Roulette with his career. I’m sure he had very good reason to make that decision.
come on mate, there is alot to be critical of the club for over the last few years but he had a choice of a Premier league club or QPR sitting 16th in the championsjip, nothing the club could have done about that one. A very different situation to what happened with Manning and Bright
come on mate, there is alot to be critical of the club for over the last few years but he had a choice of a Premier league club or QPR sitting 16th in the championsjip, nothing the club could have done about that one. A very different situation to what happened with Manning and Bright
Dave, any boy, and any parents of a boy, in that position, with their heads screwed on, choose the club they feel gives the best chance of progression to the first team. You’ll have to just trust me on that as someone who knows.
Some really interesting points made on this thread that I set up. Think we know that developing young football talent is a bit of a lottery, especially British talent, as the pressure of expectation and in Rangers position maintaining Championship status is enormous. We need to feel positive about what the club are trying to achieve with the new training centre, trying to encourage youngsters to join QPR with a route to the first team and generate income for the club in the process.
Some really interesting points made on this thread that I set up. Think we know that developing young football talent is a bit of a lottery, especially British talent, as the pressure of expectation and in Rangers position maintaining Championship status is enormous. We need to feel positive about what the club are trying to achieve with the new training centre, trying to encourage youngsters to join QPR with a route to the first team and generate income for the club in the process.
100%, Northants.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
Dave, any boy, and any parents of a boy, in that position, with their heads screwed on, choose the club they feel gives the best chance of progression to the first team. You’ll have to just trust me on that as someone who knows.
The player and his parents made a mistake then as he would have got a chance here and never did at Everton
The player and his parents made a mistake then as he would have got a chance here and never did at Everton
Evidently, but they could only make a decision based upon the circumstances, what they knew, and what they believed, at the time. They chose to leave, quite understandably.
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